Nimham Mountain Multiple Use Area
Park
1,009 acres20 mi of trail
blue trailTrailyellow trailred trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Tim1337 · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Kent
39% of Kent’s land is conserved: 10,220 acres
5,269 acres are parks and preserves, 409 per 1,000 residents. 69 miles of mapped trail cross Kent, 1.7 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Nimham Mountain Multiple Use Area (20 mi), Horse Pound Brook Unit (10.3 mi), Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park (10.2 mi).
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #31 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Conserved land
39%
10,220 acres · of 40.5 sq mi of land
Trails
69 mi
1.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
5,269 ac
409 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
83%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
9.4 mi
Highest peak
1,273 ft
Nimham Mount
Lakes & rivers
20
2 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Kent?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Kent have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Kent is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #31 of 758 in New York. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Kent’s overall grade.
Conserved land39% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%A+Trails1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (69 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land409 acres of park per 1,000 residents (5,269 acres) · NY 31 · U.S. 13AParks close to home83% of residents within a half mile of a park · NY 70% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 98%
LessMore
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 96%
Water is 7% of Kent’s area (3 of 43 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 37%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Nimham Mountain Multiple Use Area, with 20 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Horse Pound Brook Unit
Managed by New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
1,014 acres10.3 mi of trail
Horse Pound Brook Trail (orange)Hawk Rock Trail (red)Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park
Managed by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
1,632 acres10.2 mi of trail
Appalachian Trailwhiteblueyellow+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Adams Unit
Managed by New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
172 acres5.1 mi of trail
Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Wonder Lake State Park
Managed by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
407 acres4 mi of trail
Yellow TrailHighlands TrailBlue TrailRed Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
California Hill State Forest
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
897 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Mount Nimham Unit
Managed by New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
84 acres1 mi of trail
yellow sploch + blue ribbon
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 29 parks & preserves
Nimham Mountain Multiple Use Area1,009 acres · 20 mi of trail
DirectionsHorse Pound Brook Unit1,014 acres · 10.3 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park1,632 acres · 10.2 mi of trail · New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
DirectionsAdams Unit172 acres · 5.1 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Wonder Lake State Park407 acres · 4 mi of trail · New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
DirectionsCalifornia Hill State Forest897 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsMount Nimham Unit84 acres · 1 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
White Pond Multiple Use Area258 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSummit Unit56 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Boyd Corners North Unit635 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Boyd Corners South Unit323 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Kent Cliffs Unit224 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Dean Pond Unit195 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Richardsville Unit190 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Knapp Road Unit183 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
White Pond Unit168 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
DirectionsLudingtonville Unit167 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Farmers Mills Unit161 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Big Buck State Forest143 acres
Kent Hills Unit115 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Taconic Unit114 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Hickory Nut Hill Unit41 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
North Putnam Unit30 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Boyd Corners Outlet Unit29 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
West Branch Headwaters Unit22 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Little Nichols Fill Unit19 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Ryan's Field19 acres
East Fishkill Unit7 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Hill and Dale Community Park1 acres
Who protects it
10,220 conserved acres
39% of Kent’s land. Water is left out: Kent has 40.5 square miles of land and 2.8 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Kent’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation6,831 ac
State parks2,100 ac
Town or city1,983 ac
County226 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits74 ac
National Park Service56 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government19 ac
Other Easement · 4,464 acState Park · 2,100 acState Resource Management Area · 1,459 acState Conservation Area · 903 acLocal Other or Unknown · 755 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 3,455 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 12 of 43 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park State Park | State parks | 1,666 | Open |
| Nimham Mountain Multiple Use Area State Resource Management Area | State conservation | 1,016 | Open |
| California Hill State Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 903 | Open |
| New York City Watershed Watershed Protection Area | Town or city | 665 | Closed |
| Wonder Lake State Park State Park | State parks | 434 | Open |
| Town Of Kent Park District Land Local Park | Town or city | 266 | Unknown |
| White Pond Multiple Use Area State Resource Management Area | State conservation | 262 | Open |
| County Of Putnam Farm Land Local Park | County | 221 | Unknown |
| Dean Pond Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 203 | Unknown |
| Big Buck Mountain Multiple Use Area State Resource Management Area | State conservation | 180 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
17 places to go in Kent
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Kent
Canopus BeachIn Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Kent
3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Kent
Canopus Lake Boat LaunchIn Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park
DirectionsWaywayandaIn California Hill State Forest
DirectionsScenic views in Kent
Ninham Mountain Fire TowerIn Nimham Mountain Multiple Use Area
Directionsview south, lake, beachIn Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Kent
Nimham Mount1,273 ft elevation · In Nimham Mountain Multiple Use Area
DirectionsCalifornia Hill1,178 ft elevation · In California Hill State Forest
DirectionsBig Buck Mountain1,115 ft elevation · In Big Buck State Forest
DirectionsDick Hill1,096 ft elevation
DirectionsBare Hill1,030 ft elevation · In Wonder Lake State Park
DirectionsLittle Buck Mountain948 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Kent
AT Thruhiker campingIn Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park
DirectionsTrails & water
23 named trails and 20 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.4 miHorses · 1.7 miUnpaved · 8.7 mi
Trail6.4 mi
Appalachian Trail3.9 mi
blue trail3.0 mi
Hawk Rock Trail (red)1.6 mi
Horse Pound Brook Trail (orange)1.6 mi
Yellow Trail1.5 mi
yellow trail1.4 mi
Highlands Trail1.1 mi
red trail1.1 mi
white1.1 mi
13 more trails
(bing guess)
0.8 miyellow sploch + blue ribbon
0.8 miblue
0.7 miBlue Trail
0.7 miRed Trail
0.5 miyellow
0.3 miEntry Trail
0.3 miHighlands / Yellow Trail
0.2 mired trail?
0.2 miorange
0.2 miWilliams Cross Road Crossroad Court
0.2 miblue + yellow
0.1 miNorth Spillway Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Barrett PondBoyd Corners ReservoirreservoirCanopus LakeChina PondClear PoolDean PondIndian Brook PondpondJohn PondLake CarmelLake NimhamLake TibetLittle Buck Mountain PondMill PondPalmer LakePine PondSagamore LakereservoirSeven Hills LakeWawayanda LakelakeWest Branch ReservoirreservoirWhite Pondpond
Biking & sports
9.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
9.4 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
11Baseball
10Tennis
3Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Kent: April to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 35 | 39 | 47 | 60 | 70 | 78 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 63 | 50 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 2.8 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 4.1 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.7 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Kent →
Next door
Kent and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Philipstown105 miPutnam Valley71 miKent69 miPawling40 miPatterson31 miEast Fishkill26 miCarmel16 miLake Carmel0.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent | 39% | 1.7 | 409 | 83% | A+ |
| Putnam Valley | 39% | 1.7 | 607 | 85% | A+ |
| Lake Carmel | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Carmel | 13% | 0.5 | 37 | 86% | A− |
| Patterson | 21% | 1.0 | 154 | 73% | A |
| East Fishkill | 10% | 0.5 | 26 | 69% | B+ |
| Philipstown | 55% | 2.2 | 1,236 | 97% | A+ |
| Pawling | 9% | 0.9 | 114 | 41% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Kent
Where can I hike in Kent?
The longest trail networks: Nimham Mountain Multiple Use Area, 20 miles; Horse Pound Brook Unit, 10.3 miles; Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park, 10.2 miles; Adams Unit, 5.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Kent is conserved land?
39% of its land, against a typical 5% for a New York town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Kent’s trails?
Nimham Mountain Multiple Use Area and Horse Pound Brook Unit don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Kent?
9.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 9.4 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Kent?
55,790 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Kent or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,339 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Kent have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #31 of 758 in New York. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Kent neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →